Social Media

Within the past quarter century, two tectonic shifts have shaken international affairs: the end of the Cold War in 1991 and the uprisings across the Arab world in 2011. These groundbreaking changes were accompanied by violence and conflict, exemplified by the wars in the former Yugoslavia and state repression across several Arab countries. Dealing with post-conflict and post-authoritarian injustice in these contexts poses a number of challenges.

The Republic of Estonia built a new government from the ground up, resulting in the world's most comprehensive and efficient “e-government.” Citizens are empowered by a free nationwide Wi-Fi network and a school program that boosts tech competence at every age level. But being an early adopter also has its risks. In 2007, Estonia was one of the first victims of a large-scale cyberattack that mostly targeted government websites and financial services. The attack provided the country's security experts with valuable experience and information in dealing with such incidents.

The federal government operates under certain laws, rules, and policies that differ in significant ways from those that apply to any other institution. Federal agencies must comply with constitutional principles, statutory obligations, regulatory processes, and administrative policies. When new federal activities like crowdsourcing meet rapidly changing technologies, initially unrecognized legal issues may arise that lack precedent and therefore require agency lawyers to scramble to keep up with developments.

The practice of fact-checking politicians’ claims has grown from its initial use by a small group of American journalists to an international movement in journalism with new fact-checking ventures emerging in countries around the globe. Why has fact-checking become such an important part of journalism? How do politicians react to being corrected? How effective are fact-checkers in holding power to account?

Cyber threats, and related vulnerabilities, are becoming more numerous and sophisticated. And the job of keeping one step ahead of the problem is a most daunting task. During a recent Director's Forum, Lisa Monaco, Assistant to the President for Homeland Security and Counterterrorism, delivered a keynote speech about the evolving threats and the Obama Administration's comprehensive strategy to address them. She also discussed the topic with Wilson Center Director, Jane Harman and fielded question from participants in the public forum. That’s the focus of this edition of REWIND.

Secretary of Homeland Security, Jeh Johnson, recently delivered a major address at the Wilson Center. Afterwards, he discussed the latest efforts to secure America from a myriad of threats ranging from terrorism to natural disasters with the Center’s director and president, Jane Harman. That’s the focus of this edition of REWIND.

Some 40 years have passed since the Church Committee’s sweeping investigation of U.S. intelligence practices, fresh on the heels of the Watergate scandal. And ten years have gone by since the last major reorganization of the country’s spy agencies, enacted in the wake of 9/11. Both efforts led to a host of reforms—among them, the creation of the Senate and House Intelligence Committees, the passage of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA), and the adoption of the Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act, which I helped shepherd through Congress.

Yes, most 12 year old children could probably figure out how to hack a Twitter feed. But yesterday, the “Cyber Caliphate”— allegedly connected with the Islamic State of Iraq and al Sham— managed to gain access to social media accounts of US Central Command, responsible for American security interests in the Middle East.

The Wilson Center, chartered by Congress as the living memorial to President Woodrow Wilson, is the nation’s key non-partisan policy forum. In tackling global issues through independent research and open dialogue, the Center informs actionable ideas for Congress, the administration, and the broader policy community.